Method of forming a multi-layer chair shell



May 8, 1962 J. J. YELLEN, JR

METHOD OF FORMING A MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1959 JOHN JOSEPH YELLEN, JR.

- INVENTOR.

May 8, 1962 J. .1. YELLEN, JR

METHOD OF FORMING A MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1959 FIG.5

J'OHN JOSEPH YE-LLEN, JR.

INVENTOR.

Fl G. 7

ice

3,033,732 METHOD OF FORMWG A MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL John J. Yellen, In, New York, N.Y., assignor to I. V.

Chair tjorporation, Long Island City, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 793,322, Feb. 16, 1959. This application Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 70,082 2 Claims. (Cl. 156211) This invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing a body supporting member or shell for a chair and is a continuation of US. patent application Serial Number 793,322, filed February 16, 1959.

It is known according to US. Patent 2,395,468 how to construct a chair shell using only low pressure molding equipment. The present invention improves on this patent in that according to its teachings a chair shell may be formed by a simple hand assembly process, and thus without using even low pressure molding equipment, or for that matter molding equipment of any sort.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a chair having a shell constructed according to the method of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of one form of blank used in the construction of the shell of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the method of constructing the shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1 but of another embodiment of a chair shell constructed according to the method of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view of the form of blank used in the construction of the shell of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 illustrates the method of constructing the shell of FIG. 5.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a completed chair 1 having legs 3 and a shell 2 provided with suitable upholstery 2a. The shell 2 has a conventional chair shape presenting a seat portion 4, a back rest portion 5, and arm rest portions 6. i

In constructing the shell 2 use is made of a plurality of blanks of flexible material, such as for example thin gauge cardboard. As will be more fully explained subsequent 1y, each of these blanks is adapted to be flexed or projected by a simple hand operation into the conventional chair shape indicated in FIG. 1. After being projected into this shape the blanks are then laminated together to build up a thickness for the shell 2 having sufficient rigidity and strength to withstand the forces, loads and stresses to which the shell will be subjected as a chair body supporting member. The process of assembling these blanks to form the shell 2 will soon be discussed in detail.

First, however, reference is made to FIGS. 2 and 6 in which two preferred forms of cardboard blanks designated 7 and 7' therein respectively are illustrated. In FIG. 6, the cardboard blank 7' has a centrally located cutout in the immediate vicinity of its central longitudinal axis BB. The side edges of the lower portion of this cutout are cut in an angular pattern 19 so as to provide matching opposing angular edges 9 on the blank 7. These angular edges 9' starting at the exterior edge of the blank 7' converge inwardly toward its center and then merge into a substantially elliptical cutout 8 which has its minor axis coincident with the blank central longitudinal axis BB.

Blank 7 shown in FIG. 2 differs from blank 7' in that no angular edges are provided and the lower portion of its cutout, which is generally triangular in shape, is displaced sidewise of its central longitudinal axis BB. Apart from these differences however, the blank 7 also has a pair of edges 9 which starting at its exterior edge It) converge inwardly towards its center and then merge into a substantially elliptical cutout 8 which has its minor axis coincident with the blank central longitudinal axis BB.

To project a flat blank 7 into a three dimensional chair shape all that is required is to bring its angular edges 9' together. Since the blank 7 is made of flexible cardboard this is easily accomplished by hand. Following this hand operation, the adjacent positioned angular edges 9 will then alternately cross the central longitudinal axis BB of the shaped blank and will lie in the seat portion 4' thereof. Since the edges 9 lie in this portion of the shaped blank they will be substantially hidden from view once the upholstery 2a is applied. On the other hand however, the location of the edges 9 in this portion of the completed shell 2 requires that they not lie in registration with each other or else rupture of the shell will be more likely to occur. Accordingly, the alternate blanks of the laminated construction are turned 180 degrees about the axis BB so that the adjacent positioned angular edges of these blanks and of the other blanks, while crossing the central longitudinal axis BB, are 180 degrees out of phase with each other as clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. As a consequence, the shell 2 is capable of supporting considerable weight on its seat portion 4 without rupturing.

A flat blank 7 is also projected into a three dimensional chair shape merely bringing together, by hand, its edges 9. The then adjacent positioned edges 9 will lie in the seat portion 4 of the shaped blank but on one side of its central longitudinal axis BB. When using the blanks 7 it is also proposed to turn alternate blanks 180 degrees about their longitudinal axis BB so that in the resulting shell 2, the adjacent positioned edges 9 of the blanks are not in registration but instead lie alternately on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis BB of the resulting shell.

When building up a chair shell of sufficient strength using either the blank 7 or the blank 7', best results have been obtained by using 5 or 6 of these blanks which are each 0.10 inch thick.

The method of constructing a chair shell according to the present invention is substantially the same regardless of the type of blank used. This method will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and

will assume the use of blanks such as blank 7. The only piece of equipment which is recommended but not necessarily required to facilitate construction of the shell 2 is a jig 12 having a nearly conical shape conforming to that which is assumed in each of the blanks 7. On one side of this conical shaped jig 12 is a small projection 13, which when fitting into a small cutout 14 on each blank 7 assures proper registration of the blanks on the jig.

The first step in the method of construction consists in projecting one of the flat blanks 7 into a chair shape, this blank for purposes of illustration being more particularly designated 7A in FIG. 3. This is done by bringing its pair of edges 9 into adjacent position, and is easily accomplished by hand. This first shaped blank 7A is then placed over the conical shaped jig 12 so that the apex 15 of the jig protrudes through the cutout 8 of the blank, and also the jig projection 13 is disposed in the blank cutout 14. Due to its flexible nature there is a force urgency in the blank 7A to return to its original flat configuration and thus there is a need to temporarily hold this blank 7A in position on the jig 12. This is done by coating portions 16 on the underside of the blank 7A with a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive. The outer surface of blank 7A is then coated with an adhesive, such as GX-253 sold by The Industrial Latex Company of Wallington, New Jersey, in preparation to receive the second of the blanks 7.

This second blank, designated 7B in FIG. 4, is first turned degrees about its central axis BB, and is then projected into a chair shape and placed on top of 3 the adhesive coated surface of the blank 7A. Since the blank 7B was turned 180 degrees its edges 9 lie the same distance 17 from the axis BB as these edges on blank 7A, but on the opposite side of the axis B-B to thereby provide a blank portion 18 which overlaps the edges 9 of the blank 7A. In placing blank 73 over the blank 7A care is exercised toplace the cutouts 8 of the blanks in registration. By staggering the edges 9 of the blanks 7A and 7B on opposite sides of the axis BB the shell 2 which is built up is capable of supporting considerable weight on its seat portion 4. The outer surface of blank 7B is then coated with the adhesive GX-253 in preparation to receive the third of the blanks 7.

The third blank is placed over the adhesive coated blank 7B in a manner similar to blank 7A, and the fourth blank on top of the adhesive coated third blank in a man ner similar to blank 73, and so forth, until completion of the laminated shell 2. Shell 2 is then removed from the jig 12 by breaking the temporary seal between the portions 16 of the blank 7A and the jig 12, and is finished into a chair by the application of upholstery 2a and the attachment of legs 3.

As previously indicated, the steps of assembling the blanks 7' into a chair shell are substantially the same as those just described in connection with the blanks 7. Whatever differences exist between the shell 2 and the shell 2 are due to the differences in the cutout of the blank 7'. More particularly, the angular edges 9 are provided so that when these edges are brought together to project each blank into a chair shape, these edges will alternately cross the axis BB at the points 20 and 21. Thus when the alternate blanks of the shell 2' are turned 180 degrees about their axis BB and projected into a chair shape and placed on the jig 12' the surface portions 18 of triangular sections 22 on these alternate blanks will overlap the angular edges 9 of the other blanks. Thus, as clearly shown in FIGS. and 7, while the angular edges 9 of the blanks 7 used in constructing the shell 2' all lie in the seat portion 4 of this shell, the angular edges 9' of alternate blanks are 180 degrees out of phase with the other blanks. As with shell 2, the consequence of this relationship of the edges 9' in the shell 2 enables this shell to support considerable weight without rupturing.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a plurality of cardboard blanks for use in the formation of a multi-layer chair;

shell, and of forming said multi-layer chair shell from said prepared cardboard blanks: said method of blank preparation being identical as to each blank and including the steps of forming in the medial section of each blank a generally elliptical cutout, and forming in the base of each blank and spaced to one side of the central longitudinal axis of said blank a generally triangular cutout, the opposite side edges of which triangular cutout extend in outwardly divergent directions from said elliptical cutout to the outer edge of said blank, and which side edges when brought together are adapted to be the sole means of causing the blank to assume a desired chair shape with the then adjacent triangular cutout side edges located in the seat portion of the chair shaped blank and spaced to one side of the central longitudinal axis of said blank; and said method of forming a chair shell from said prepared cardboard blanks including the steps of shaping each of the blanks individually by bringing together, by hand, the side edges of the triangular cutout of each blank as the sole means of causing said blank to assume a desired chair shape, those of said blanks intended as alternate layers of the completed multi-layer chair shell being rotated degrees about their central longitudinal axis, prior to being shaped, to cause the then adjacent side edges of the triangular cutout of each to be located on the side of the blank central longitudinal axis which is opposite to that of the other shaped blanks, applying an adhesive coating to each of the blanks, and placing said chair shaped blanks one upon the other with the elliptical cutouts of all blanks in registration, and with the adjacent side edges of the triangular cutout of all blanks located in the seat portion of the chair shell and alternately spaced on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis of said chair shell.

2. A method of preparing a plurality of cardboard blanks for use in the formation of a multi-layer chair shell, and of forming said multi-layer chair shell from said prepared cardboard blanks: said method of blank preparation being identical as to each blank and including the steps of forming in the medial section of each blank a generally elliptical cutout, and forming in the central portion of the base of each blank a generally triangular cutout, the opposite side edges of which triangular cutout are angularly shaped and extend in outwardly divergent directions from said elliptical cutout to the outer edge of said blank, and which side edges when brought together are adapted to be the sole means of causing the blank to assume a desired chair shape with the then adjacent triangular cutout side edges located in the seat portion of the chair shaped blank and due to their angular shape alternately crossing the central longitudinal axis oi": said blank; and said method of forming a chair shell from said prepared cardboard blanks including the steps of shaping each of the blanks individually by bringing to gether, by hand, the side edges of the triangular cutout of each blank as the sole means of causing said blank to assume a desired chair shape, those of said blanks intended as alternate layers of the completed multi-layer chair shell being rotated 180 degrees about their central longitudinal axis, prior to being shaped, to cause the then adjacent angularly shaped side edges of the triangular cutout of each to be 180 degrees out of phase with said edges of the other shaped blanks, applying an adhesive coating to each of the blanks, and placing said chair shaped blanks one upon the other with the elliptical cutouts of all blanks in registration, and with the adjacent side edges of the triangular cutout of all blanks located in the seat portion of the chair shell and the angular shape of said edges 180 degrees out of phase in alternate layers of said multi-layer chair shell.

References (fitted in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,395,468 Eames Feb. 26, 1946 

1. A METHOD OF PREPARING A PLURALITY OF CARDBOARD BLANKS FOR USE IN THE FORMATION OF A MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL, AND OF FORMING SAID MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL FROM SAID PREPARED CARDBOARD BLANKS: SAID METHOD OF BLANK PREPARATION BEING IDENTICAL AS TO EACH BLANK AND INCLUDING THE STEPS OF FORMING IN THE MEDIAL SECTION OF EACH BLANK A GENERALLY ELLIPTICAL CUTOUT, AND FORMING IN THE BASE OF EACH BLANK AND SPACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BLANK A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR CUTOUT, THE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF WHICH TRIANGULAR CUTOUT EXTEND IN OUTWARDLY DIVERGENT DIRECTIONS FROM SAID ELLIPTICAL CUTOUT TO THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID BLANK, AND WHICH SIDE EDGES WHEN BROUGHT TOGETHER ARE ADAPTED TO BE THE SOLE MEANS OF CAUSING THE BLANK TO ASSUME A DESIRED CHAIR SHAPE WITH THE THEN ADJACENT TRIANGULAR COUTOUT SIDE EDGES LOCATED IN THE SEAT PORTION OF THE CHAIR SHAPED BLANK AND SPACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BLANK; AND SAID METHOD OF FORMING A CHAIR SHELL FROM SAID PREPARED CARDBOARD BLANKS INCLUDING THE STEP OF SHAPING EACH OF THE BLANKS INDIVIDUALLY BY BRINGING TOGETHER, BY HAND, THE SIDE EDGES OF THE TRIANGULAR CUTOUT OF EACH BLANK AS THE SOLE MEANS OF CAUSING SAID BLANK TO ASSUME A DESIRED CHAIR SHAPE, THOSE OF SAID BLANKS INTENDED AS ALTERNATE LAYERS OF THE COMPLETED MULTI-LAYER CHAIR SHELL BEING ROTATED 180 DEGREES ABOUT THEIR CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS, PRIOR TO BEING SHAPED, TO CAUSE THE THEN ADJACENT SIDE 